Sustainability in Action event brings together stakeholders from around the Valley

ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) - On Thursday night, Sustainable Shenandoah Valley held its first Sustainability in Action event.

Sustainable Shenandoah Valley is a regional consortium with representatives from Blue Ridge Community College, Bridgewater College, Eastern Mennonite University, International Beliefs and Values Institute, James Madison University, and Mary Baldwin University.

Several stakeholders had the chance to share the ways their organizations are moving toward a more sustainable future. Topics discussed included urban heat island mitigation, Vine and Fig educational outreach programs, and Harrisonburg’s Urban Forestry Program.

“Our goal is for every tree we take down, we’re putting a tree back in the ground,” Jeremy Harold, the Harrisonburg Greenspace Manager, said. “We’re not only putting a tree back in the ground, we’re planting less than 10% of any species. We don’t want a monoculture, we want a diverse native species.”

These actions are all within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

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